Thiruvananthapuram: Man murders neighbour, rapes his wife; local court awards death sentence (Kerala)

Updated Apr 12, 2019 | 09:20 IST | Mirror Now Digital

Death sentence was awarded to a man by a local court for murdering another man and allegedly raping the latter's wife. The sentence was awarded to the accused by Mini S Das, additional sessions judge.

Death sentence was awarded to a man by a local court for murdering another man and allegedly raping the latter's wife. The sentence was awarded to the accused by Mini S Das, additional sessions judge. A penalty of Rs 1.75 lakh was also levied on the convict. The alleged incident took place in Koliyoor which falls under the jurisdiction of the Kovalam police station. The incident took place in July 2016. The convict was identified as Anil Kumar alias Kolusu Binu. 

 Anil Kumar alias Kolusu Binu & Chandrasekharan

While one of the accused was given a death sentence, the second accused, Chandrasekharan of Tamil Nadu was awarded a life sentence. Chandrasekharan was accused of trespassing, murder, robbery and attempt to murder. A penalty of Rs 1 lakh was imposed on Chandrasekharan. According to the Times of India, the incident took place on July 7, 2016. A man and his wife were sleeping at their residence in Koliyoor when the two accused allegedly attacked him. The husband was attacked with a sledgehammer and an iron rod. The wife was attacked with the same weapon. After attacking the wife, Anil Kumar allegedly raped her. 

The woman went into a coma due to brain damage. Though the woman gained consciousness, her memory was lost. The accused then ransacked the house and robbed the couple of their valuables. The crime came to light after the children of the deceased woke up after a few hours. The accused were booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The case of the prosecution was being handled by Special public prosecutor VS Vineeth Kumar. Since the case did not have any eye witnesses, the decision was taken on the bases of circumstantial and scientific evidence. Anil Kumar was the neighbour of the deceased and shared a friendly equation with them. Kumar had made several attempts towards the victim but after she refused, he decided to commit the crime. 

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/mirror-now/crime/article/thiruvananthapuram-man-makes-advances-towards-neighbour-rapes-her-murders-her-husband-when-denied/398834 (accessed on 30 May 2019)

Rapist and murderer of mother and daughter gets convicted (Kerala)

A death penalty has been awarded to Jomon of Kumily, who raped and murdered a woman and her daughter at Vandiperiyar in Idukki 12 years ago. He has also been sentenced to life term in prison, along with a fine of Rs 50,000.

Jomon & Rajendra

The incident happened on December 2, 2007, when Jomon allied with Rajendran to rape and murder a 55-year-old woman and her 22-year-old daughter. The accused had entered the victims’ house in an inebriated state and strangled them until they fell unconscious. They later hacked the women to death and then raped their dead bodies. Even though Rajendran was awarded death sentence in 2012, Jomon, who went absconding in 2007 was tracked by the police and arrested in 2012. The Thodapuzha second additional sessions judge KK Sujatha on Thursday awarded death penalty to Jomon.

According to a report, Jomon had initially pleaded innocence, however, the prosecution proved the case based on scientific evidence and awarded him capital punishment under sections 449, 376, and 302 of the Indian Penal Code.

Source: https://www.indiaglitz.com/kerala-man-sentenced-to-death-rape-murder-of-mother-daughter-tamil-news-227773 (Accessed 07 February 2019) 

Death sentences for Indian police torturers welcomed by victim's mother (Kerala)

26 July 2018

Death sentences awarded to two Indian police officers found guilty of killing a man in custody have been welcomed by the victim's mother.

Prabhavathi Amma, the victim's mother, had been fighting the case for 13 years

"God has heard a mother's prayers," said Prabhavathi Amma, who spent 13 years fighting the case in the southern state of Kerala. A special court found the two officers guilty of torturing a man to death after arresting him for theft. These are the first death sentences given for a custodial death in Kerala. One more officer had also been found guilty of the crime, but died before the sentence was pronounced. The court also sentenced two senior officers to three years in prison for attempting to cover up the murder.

Udaykumar, the 26-year-old victim, a daily wage labourer, was detained on 27 September 2005 on suspicion of being a thief, after he was discovered with a sum of 4,000 rupees (£44; $58) at a park in Trivandrum city. The police released him after pocketing the money, but he refused to go as he had promised to buy his mother a gift for the state's annual Onam festival, a harvest celebration. He was "brought dead" to a hospital later the same evening. The doctors who conducted the autopsy found internal injuries as a result of third-degree torture.

"They killed him during an Onam 13 years ago. Now they will spend their Onam in prison. No court will pardon them," said Ms Prabhavathi, after Wednesday's verdict. "He left for work, and I was waiting for his return the whole night. My wait for justice ends today, and I hope other such victims will also get justice soon," she added. The judge rejected a plea from the policemen for their death sentences to be commuted, saying it was a "rarest of the rare" case that deserved death. "Law enforcers are protectors of life and property and not traders of death. They had killed an innocent person in their custody," he said, adding a strong punishment would act as a deterrent against torture and deaths in custody. "It has severely eroded public trust in law enforcement."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-44963770 (Accessed 25 December 2018)

2 policemen given death in infamous custodial death case (Kerala)

P S Gopikrishnan Unnithan 

Jeemon Jacob 

Thiruvananthapuram, July 25, 2018 19:34 IST

The accused constables K Jithakumar and SV Sreekumar were found guilty of Udayakumar's custodial death at Fort Police Station in Thiruvananthapuram.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Udayakumar, 26, was taken into custody in 2005 for questioning in a theft case
• He was subjected to third-degree methods of interrogation
• The case triggered widespread protests across Kerala

In a rare instance, a Thiruvananthapuram special CBI court has awarded death penalties to two police personnel convicted in a custodial murder in Kerala.

The accused constables K Jithakumar and SV Sreekumar were found guilty of Udayakumar's custodial death at Fort Police Station in Thiruvananthapuram. The prosecution case was that Udayakumar (26), who was taken into custody for questioning in a theft case, died in custody after being tortured by police. Three other officers, including former Fort assistant commissioner TK Haridas, former circle inspector EK Sabu and former sub-inspector Ajith Kumar, were found guilty of conspiracy charges and have been sentenced to three years in prison. They were accused of tampering evidences and fabricating false documents in the case.

A CASE OF 'URUTTI KOLA'

Udayakumar's case had sent a shockwave across Kerala in 2005 after horrific details of police brutality were made public. On September 27, 2005, Udayakumar and his friend Suresh Kumar were picked up by Fort Police in Thiruvananthapuram from near Sreekanteswaram Park. Suresh was picked up in connection with a theft case. Udayakumar was in possession of Rs 4,000 and the police assumed that it was the stolen money. He along with Suresh was then allegedly subjected to third-degree methods of interrogation at the Fort Police Station. Udaykumar was pinned down on a table and the police rolled a large iron rod over his body. Udaykumar, who sustained grievous injuries, succumbed. The incident came to be known as 'Urutti Kola' - an infamous practice where a heavy wooden or iron log is rolled on the body of an accused by the police. The autopsy found 22 injury marks on his body.

Prabhavathi, the mother of Udayakumar, has been fighting for justice since the last 13 years.

Prabhavati, the 68-year-old mother of Udayakumar, fought a 13-year-long battle to prove that her son was killed in police custody. She moved a petition before the Kerala High Court demanding a CBI probe in the matter. The arrest of the accused police personnel was only after the CBI probe. "Now justice has been done and I am alive to see my son's killers being sentenced to death," Prabhavati, a widow, said. The case triggered widespread protests across Kerala as it was alleged that police had used third-degree methods on Udayakumar. It is also the first time that capital punishment has been awarded to serving police officials in a case of custodial death in Kerala.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/policemen-death-infamous-kerala-custodial-death-udayakumar-1295467-2018-07-25 (Accessed 25 December 2018)

Congress worker murder: CPI(M) leader awarded death sentence (Kerala)

By PTI |Alapuzha |Published: April 21, 2018 4:59:27 pm 

The prosecution case was that Baiju and the others went to the residence of Divakaran on December 9, 2009, to sell a coir product as part of the then Left government's scheme to promote such products. 

R. Baiju, former local secretary of the CPI(M)

A fast track court here on Saturday sentenced a former local secretary of the CPI(M) to death and awarded life imprisonment to five others for the murder of a Congress worker at Chertala in 2009. The Alapuzha Fast Track Court Judge, Anil Kumar, pronounced the verdict this morning. The court found that R Baiju was the main conspirator in the case and awarded the death sentence to him.

The prosecution case was that Baiju and the others went to the residence of Divakaran on December 9, 2009, to sell a coir product as part of the then Left government’s scheme to promote such products. However, Divakaran refused to buy them, saying they were priced too high, leading to a heated argument. He was then hit on the head and suffered serious injuries. He succumbed at a hospital after a week.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/congress-worker-murder-kerala-cpim-leader-awarded-death-sentence-five-get-life-imprisonment-5146397/ (Accessed 24 December 2018)

Man gets death penalty for raping, murdering four-year-old girl (Kerala)

By Express News Service |Kochi |Published: January 15, 2018 7:30:25 pm

The case dates back to October 29, 2013, when Ranjith, the prime accused in the case, sexually assaulted and murdered his paramour Rani's four-year-old daughter. 

A special POCSO court in Kochi handed out the death sentence to a man convicted of raping and killing his paramour’s four-year-old daughter. The mother of the child and a person who played a role in the killing were awarded double life sentences by the court, police said. The case dates back to October 29, 2013, when Ranjith, the prime accused in the case, sexually assaulted and murdered his paramour Rani’s four-year-old daughter. Rani’s husband at the time was in jail in a drug case. With the help of Rani and his aide Basil, Ranjith, who was the driver of a JCB digger, buried the child’s body in Arakkunnam, 25 kilometres from Kochi, police said.

Ranjith (L), Basil (Centre), Rani (R)

Subsequently, Rani filed a complaint at the police station in Chottanikkara alleging that her daughter went missing. However, when police interrogated her further, she confessed to the crime. According to the police, the child was seen as a hindrance in Rani’s affair with Ranjith. A case under sections 302, 34, 120B of the IPC, sections 7 and 8 of the POCSO Act and section 23 of the JJ Act was filed against the accused, police said. Last week, Ranjith had attempted suicide at the Kakkanad sub-jail in which he was lodged on a day when the court was set to announce its verdict in the case. 

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/kerala-man-gets-death-penalty-for-raping-murdering-four-year-old-girl-chottanikkara-5025698/ (Accessed 24 December 2018)

Jisha rape and murder case: Convict Ameerul Islam awarded death sentence by Kerala court

 By Express Web Desk |New Delhi |Updated: December 14, 2017 12:49:40 pm 

The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court on Thursday awarded Ameerul Islam, 23, the death sentence for raping and murdering Jisha in Kerala in 2016. 

Ameerul Islam

The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court on Thursday awarded Ameerul Islam, 23, the death sentence for raping and murdering Jisha in Kerala in April last year (2016). Ameerul, a migrant worker from Assam, had been convicted by the court on Tuesday. The incident had led to widespread protests, and triggered a debate on women’s safety in the southern state. The court Tuesday had found Ameerul guilty under Sections 376 (rape), 302 (murder), 449 (trespassing into house) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the IPC. 

Welcoming the verdict, the victim’s sister, Deepa, said, “I will not get my sister back but I am happy with the court’s verdict. We will be at peace only when he (Ameerul) is hanged. A lot of people have worked very hard to get justice for Jisha. I want to thank all of them.” Prosecution advocate N K Unnikrishnan said, “This was a brutal murder that shocked the conscience of Kerala. The society wanted the highest punishment for the convict. We are happy that we were able to get the harshest punishment awarded to him by the court.” 

Rajeswary, mother of Jisha

Jisha was raped and murdered at her residence in Kuruppampadi area on April 28, 2016. The 30-year-old Dalit law student, who was studying at Ernakulam’s Government Law College, was found with severe injuries, some inflicted even after she was killed, the police had found. Aside from public outrage, the incident had also rocked the Kerala legislative Assembly.

Jisha, a 29-year-old law student at the Government Law College, Ernakulam

ADGP B Sandhya, the lead investigating officer told reporters, “We have worked very hard to collect all the evidence. It’s our professional dharma to accept whatever the court rules. We are happy with the judgment.” Ameerul was arrested 49 days after incident. A Special Investigation Team, which had been set up to probe the case, had filed a 1,500-page chargesheet on September 17, 2016. The court completed hearing the case earlier this year, on December 6.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jisha-rape-murder-case-ernakulam-principal-sessions-court-ameerul-islam-death-sentence-4982131/ (Accessed 23 December 2018)

Kerala’s curative plea seeking death penalty in Soumya murder case rejected by SC

The Supreme Court rejected Kerala’s curative petition that sought the death penalty for a convict Govindachamy, in the Soumya murder case. 

“Having gone through the Curative Petitions and the relevant documents, in our considered opinion, no case is made out within the parameters indicated in the decision of this Court in Rupa Ashok Hurra Vs. Ashok Hurra & Anr., reported in 2002 (4) SCC 388. The Curative Petitions are, accordingly, dismissed,” a six-judge bench looking into this matter ruled. The Kerala state government had filed the petition after the Supreme Court in its 2016 order had set aside the Kerala High Court judgment awarding the assailant Govindachamy the death penalty. An apex court Bench comprising of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, PC Pant and UU Lalit had, in September last year, found Govindachamy guilty of rape. However, the bench had overturned the high court order sentencing him to death and instead awarded him a life sentence. 

Interestingly, in November, the Supreme Court had initiated contempt proceedings against Justice Markandey Katju after the former SC judge had made personal remarks in two posts— on September 17 and 18 — on a social networking site against judges who had pronounced a ruling on the Soumya rape-murder case. A bench led by the same justices who had presided over the matter had claimed that the posts were, “a serious assault on judges, not on judgments.” Justice Katju had been invited by the Justice Gogoi-led bench to debate on the several “fundamental flaws” that it had allegedly committed in its September 15 judgement on the well publicised Soumya murder and rape case in 2011. The bench commuted the death sentence of the man, Govindachamy, who had been convicted of these crimes. Katju had commented in his posts that the SC had seriously "erred in law" in its judgment. His post had said, “This was a grave error in the judgment, not expected of judges who had been in the legal world for decades. Even a student of law in a law college knows this elementary principle that hearsay evidence is inadmissible.” However, In January 2017, the contempt proceedings were withdrawn, after Justice Katju tendered an unconditional apology to the judges in this matter.

Source: https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-kerala-s-curative-plea-seeking-death-penalty-in-soumya-murder-case-rejected-by-sc-2421848 (Accessed 23 December 2018)

Death sentence for man convicted of killing Kerala family (Kerala)

Published: March 21, 2017 12:52

Akhel Mathew, Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: A 30-year-old migrant worker convicted of murdering his employer and his parents in Kerala’s Kottayam district has been handed the death sentence.

The Kottayam Principal Sessions Court said on Tuesday the crime committed by Narendra Kumar fell within the rarest of rare category, and ruled that the convict must pay Rs 300,000 and another Rs 25,000 he had stolen from his victims, to the surviving member of the family. The incident happened on May 16, 2015, at Parambuzha near Kottayam, where Kumar was employed by a dry cleaning firm run by Praveen Lal, 28 and his parents, Mooleparambil Lalason, 71, and Prasannakumari, 62. The dry cleaning and laundry unit was attached to the family’s house.

Kumar had come from Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh to Kerala in search of work. He committed the crime apparently for money. After bludgeoning all three, and striking them with an axe, Kumar also gave them electric shocks to ensure they were all dead. Praveen Lal was murdered first.

Kumar then got his parents to come to the house and murdered them, too. After the crime, he hired an autorickshaw to go to the Kottayam railway station, from where he went to Goa and Mumbai on way to Uttar Pradesh. Kerala police searched for him relentlessly and a team led by the circle inspector of Pampady, Saju Varghese finally nabbed him from Uttar Pradesh. Kumar had been doing odd works at the laundry unit, including pressing clothes. He later confessed to police that he had committed the crime to make enough money to settle his debts.

Source: https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/death-sentence-for-man-convicted-of-killing-kerala-family-1.1997631 (Accessed 23 December 2018)

Uttar Pradesh labourer gets death sentence for murdering 3 of family (Kerala)

March 21, 2017 6:46 PM IST

Kottayam (Ker), Mar 21 (PTI) A migrant labourer from Uttar Pradesh was today awarded death sentence by a court here for killing three members of a family at Parapuzha in the district in 2015.

Principal Sessions Judge S Santha Kumari awarded the sentence to Narendra Kumar (30), a native of Ferozabad in Uttar Pradesh. The judge also imposed a double life sentence, along with seven years of imprisonment, on the accused and described the case as a “rarest of rare” one.

All the sentences will run concurrently. The sentence was a “warning” to those migrant workers who indulged in crime, the court said and ordered a compensation of Rs three lakh to the relatives of the deceased. The prosecution case was that the accused had murdered an elderly couple — Lazer (71) and Prasannakumari (62) — and their son Praveen Lal (28) on May 16, 2015.

Kumar, who worked in a laundry, committed the murders and decamped with gold ornaments and cash to repay his debts, it was alleged. The court had found him guilty under sections 302, 397, 457 and 380 of the IPC.

Source: https://www.india.com/news/agencies/up-labourer-gets-death-sentence-for-murdering-3-of-family-1948001/ (Accessed 23 December 2018)

Death sentence of ‘Ripper’ Jayanandan commuted to life term (Kerala)

By PTI |Kochi |Published: December 19, 2016 8:50:44 pm 

The court gave its verdict considering Jayanandan's appeal against the sessions court awarding him death sentence for murdering a housewife at Puthenvelikkara in 2006.

The Kerala High Court on Monday commuted the death sentence of ‘Ripper’ Jayanandan, accused in several cases of murder and robbery, to life imprisonment in one of the murder cases against him. A division bench headed by Justice K T Sankaran said the accused should undergo rigorous imprisonment till the end of his life.

K P "Ripper" Jayanandan 

The court gave its verdict considering Jayanandan’s appeal against the sessions court awarding him death sentence for murdering a housewife at Puthenvelikkara in 2006. Earlier, in a double murder case also the death sentence was commuted by the high court. In its judgement, the high court said the case will not fall within the category of rarest of the rare case. However, the bench following the judgement in Swamy Shraddananda case of the apex court, said that the accused should remain in jail till the end of his life without parole or remission.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/death-sentence-of-ripper-jayanandan-commuted-to-life-term-4435827/ (Accessed 22 December 2018)

Soumya rape case: SC drops murder charge, sets aside death sentence (Kerala)

By Express Web Desk |New Delhi |Published: September 15, 2016 11:54:01 am 

In January 2014, the Kerala High Court upheld the death sentence granted to Govindachamy by a Thrissur Fast-track court. The Supreme Court on Thursday set aside the death sentence given to Govindachamy, a convict in the murder of Soumya, a 23-year-old woman, who was brutally assaulted and pushed off the train. The apex court, however, has held him guilty of rape. Govindachamy’s death sentence has been reduce to a life-term.

Govindachamy

In January 2014, the Kerala High Court upheld the death sentence granted to him by a Thrissur Fast-track court. On February, 1, 2011, Soumya, an employee of a shopping mall in Kochi, was travelling home in an almost empty woman’s coach of a passenger train. Govindachamy molested her and later pushed her out of a train, and also jumped off. Govindachamy then walked towards her and raped her. Soumya was from Ernakulam to Shornur. Soumya succumbed to injuries on February 6 at a government hospital.

Soumya

 

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/soumya-rape-case-sc-drops-murder-charge-sets-aside-death-sentence/ (Accessed 20 December 2018)

India apex court seeks proof in Kerala rape-murder case

Published: September 08, 2016 12:52

Akhel Mathew, Correspondent

Sensational case pertains to death of train traveler Soumya in February 2011.

Thiruvananthapuram: The sensational case of the rape and murder of a young woman train traveller in Kerala who was awaiting her marriage, took a dramatic turn on Thursday when India’s apex court sought clinching proof of the crime. The case pertains to the death of Soumya (23), daughter of Ganesh, a resident of Manjakkad near Shoranur in Palakkad district in February 2011.

Govindachamy

A lower court had convicted the accused, Govindachamy, a native of Tamil Nadu in the rape-murder case and handed him the death sentence. The prosecution’s claim was that Govindachamy entered the ladies’ compartment of the Shoranur-Kochi train in which Soumya was alone. Govindachamy was accused of accosting Soumya, who fell off the train and was seriously injured. He is then accused of carrying the injured Soumya to a railway track nearby, raping her and making off with her mobile phone and purse. When some passersby later found Soumya in an unconscious state, they took her to a hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries five days later. 

The Supreme Court asked for clinching proof of the crime, pointing out that while it was clear she had been raped, it was not clear whether she had been pushed out of the train or jumped on her own. The post mortem report said head injuries had led to her death, adding further doubt about the circumstance that actually led to her death. The court remarked that “guesswork” should not be brought before the court. The prosecution, however, could not immediately provide a satisfactory answer to the court’s queries.

Soumya

The court’s remarks came while considering a petition by Govindachamy demanding to annul the death sentence handed to him by the lower court. The Soumya murder case had turned the limelight on safety of women during train travel, particularly in ladies’ compartments in which there are times when there are only one or a few women in a compartment.

Source: https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/india-apex-court-seeks-proof-in-kerala-rape-murder-case-1.1893281 (Accessed 20 December 2018)